A person entering a dark room frequently has difficulty locating the wall mounted light switch. If the room is very dark, the person often must grope around in an effort to locate the switch by feeling along the wall. As a result, the wall ends up being soiled from dirty hands. Since the person cannot see where he or she is going, the person can accidentally walk into walls, furniture, hanging light fixtures and the like, sometimes damaging the same or even causing personal injury.
Devices are commercially available for solving the foregoing problem. One such device comprises a light switch having an actuator lever with a lamp inside. Another such device comprises a light switch having a small illuminating source mounted in the center of an ON/OFF rocker arm. The illuminating device is only energized when the light switch rocker arm is in its OFF position.
Each of the foregoing devices are substitutes for the existing conventional wall mounted light switch. Their installation involves disconnection of the old light switch from the 110 volt AC wires in the wall socket and reconnection of the new device. This is a time consuming and potentially dangerous operation for homeowners and other non-electricians. Improper connection of the 110 volt AC wires can lead to hazardous shorts. These prior devices utilize incandescent light sources which may give off excessive heat and are prone to burnout and other faults.